Word, North Carolina
tfttltetr
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VOL. I.
OXFORD, N. C., DECEMBER 16, 1921
NO. 6
BRIAND'S VIEW OF FRANCE'S
SITUATION
I am wholly in sympathy with the
view that Premier Briand has ex
pressed at the Washington Confer
ence with regard to the attitude of
France toward Germany. France is
justified in looking out for herself by
keeping her strong right arm in read
iness. Except for the occupation on
the Rhine her safeguards against
German aggression are "nebulous."
The last spark of defiance has not
yet died out in Germany and it is
not at all absurd to say that Ger
many is coming back into her own
eorne day and will then attempt to
duplicate what she attempted in th
late war. As France is about the
first great power in reach of Ger
many, it is natural that France be
reluctant in giving up her military
protection. It is not that France is
afraid of Germany. She is merely
asserting her right to take necessary
precautions against a renewal of the
horrors of 1914. Not that French
eyes are looking only for the protec
tion of France. The safety of the
whole world is involved in Briand's
statement. Germany is not perma
nently weakened and it would do well
if the powers represented in Washing
ton would take heed of the situation
as presented by Premier Briand.
Almon Upchurch
PEACE ON EARTH
unce again the cnristmas season
ln vtth -us. r Tbr art- Mly. ,watH
where, and gladness In all our hearts.
Even the fluuunest .01d Scrooge" 'is
bound to admit that the world is a
very decent place at Christmas time, j
Grim, tight-cornered mouths that
haven't permitted themselves the
luxury of an honest-to-goodness
smile in twelve months are actually
relaxing into something approaching
geniality. Isn't it a good thing that
Christmas comes once a year and
gives us an excuse to exercise that
sneaking feeling of tenderness which
may go a long time unused but can
always be discovered in the most dried
up of human hearts. What was
it the angels sang on that first
Christmas morning as the Shepherds
watched their flocks beneath the stars
that guarded Bethlehem? "Peace on
earth and good will to men." That j
was h peace ana gooa win. Ana
surely that will always be the spirit
of Christmas.
Is it not a good omen that the
leading nations of the world have come
together to try to bring about "Peace
on earth" for all people and for all
time? Let us all pray earnestly that
the world-wide spirit of Christmas
may not die with the dawning of New
Year's day.
Bessie Faulkner
A CHRISTMAS SUGGESTION
When we are planning Christmas
for our own pleasure and happiness,
how many of us will think of the
boys and girls for whom there will
be no Christmas joys this year? Can
we not make up our minds to do
without one thing at least and invest
its price in happiness for others?
Surely there are those in our own
community who need a helping hand.
If not, think of the starving children
in Russia and other foreign countries.
Let's make it a Christmas of giving,
not getting.
Lucile Maddra -
. i-
MR. OGLESBY HAS OPERATION jj CHRISTMAS EVE
It was Sidney Taylor who gave a 'Jis Christmas Eve. The atmos
a new twist to an old sentiment last HMere filled with a confusion of
year. Somebody in the grade was -erry greetings, cherry songs, and
sick and somebody else in the gradi paPPy laughter. The brilliant streets
made a motion to send flowers.
"All right," said Sidney, "here's
my quarter if you send 'em nou Let'
not wait until graveyard flowers are
in order."
Proceeding on the hypothesis that
a kind word now is worth a dozen in
in epitaph, The Tattler craves to
say a word or two anent Mr. Ogle?
by. A certain junior came pretty
near expressing our sentiments tht
other day at recess when he
j ..j wcujj rathcr h2ve pQCpe fctj to.
ward me as they do toward that man
than be president of the Beth'ehen
Stc?l Corporation. Say, he preach?
better outside the church than he dies
inside. You know I think it's because
he feel friendly toward folks instea 1
of just putting on friendliness be
cause it's a preacher's job to be
friendly."
Perhaps there's something in ihi
above theory. At any rate, we '!
feel mighty friendly toward Mr.
Cglesby and we are glad all the way
through that he is getting along so
nicely without his appendix!
BZST SERMON MR. HARTE EVER
PREACHED 1
hi
SO NAYS lllfiH SCHOOL
J M IA f
.KKMAWKAiripi
liArTI r l AlTO
" If Dr. llAnkia "ol the State BolTvi
of Health or Dr. McBrayer who headrff'' ascinat'on infPire .
the campaign against tuberculosis lit
North Carolina had heard Mr. Hart
in the high school auditorium Werfv
nesday morning, Oxford would run
a strong chance of losing a mighty
good preacher and an excellent citi
zen. Mr. Harte preached the gospel
of good health and it is the opinion
of those who heard him that he nev-
all round health talk I ever heard."
was the comment of our faculty.
Perhaps Mr. Harte owed the con
vincing quality of his remarks to the
fact that he spoke from personal ex
perience. It is difficult to realize that
our Mr. Harte who tips the scales at
OP 111 1 1 ff J f
18- cou,d have weighed
vi. pounu ;
twelve years ago when he entered a j
sanatorium for tuberculosis at Ashe-,
ville. Mr. Harte is well now; he will J
stay well because he has learned hov j
from bitter experience. He got well j
because he started in time and fol
lowed orders. It takes a good soldier
to beat tuberculosis but it can be done
as Mr. Harte and hundreds of other
intelligent men and women have prov
ed. If we forget all the reading and
'riting and 'rithmetic to which we
are exposed this year, let's remember
Mr. Harte's best sermon.
BISHOP CHESHIRE VISITS ST.
STEPHENS
The bishop made his annual visit
to St. Stephen's Friday evening, De
cember 9, to administer the rite of
confirmation. A large congregation
was present. There were seven in
the confirmation class. They are:
Mrs. George Moore, Mrs. J. B.
Powell, Jr., Johnny Niles, Jack
Brinkley, Robert Powell, Henry Hall,
Roger Lanier.
;are in a dizzy whirl of hurrying heavy-
'troated fimirps Mpn nnrf urnmpn ov.
pthange hearty, cheery greetings a3
jkhey brush past each other around
rcorners. The jolly winter wind
swirls the gay scarfs of happy, mer
ry girls as they gaily trip along, stop
ping occasionally to gaze longingly in
to a brilliantly illuminated show-case.
JThey gaze curiously and shyly at the
grown-ups who hurry along decoratel
. i nn numerous mysienous-iooKirrj
pacKage3. bwarms of youngster
With their noses pressed tightly to the
"glas3 gaze for hours into a show-
ft'indow where a Santa Claus seems
ibout to step out to this crowd of
ay folk. Here and there the sweet
mellow voice of a happy girl rings out
!n merry laughter mingled with the
shattering and whistling of the boys.
Automobiles take corners at danger
ous speed while their occupants arc
Ibuiying themselves calling out greet
ings to passing friends.
( As one enters his home after hav
ing1 mingled with this gay throng, in
tiUng odors meet him at the door and
j. rt him kitchenward and pantry-
tard. There the shelves fairly groan
it tempting plum puddings, deli
cub fruit cakes, candies, nuts, and
ait turkey. To increase joy and
tifipatioa one juay, by chance," fret
pJimre of the rn!cent
ii . v ;.j,Ww with r.t',,1 ruu jkAta.. and.prw
tAtlWK??" It3 sparkling beauty and daz-
one with
ati almost unbearable desire for the
RU-laome morrow.
1 ? Mattie May Lyon
,n
WATCH OUT -DE MAUPASSANT
Of the many pulchritudinous mem
bers of the class of '22, there is one
understudy to Apollo personage who
never fails to answer to the roll call.
Shake hands with Mr. James Moody.
James' on enterin our, c!asst, f r
parts unknown, surprised the English
faculty (or Miss Harrington) with
writing some unusually clever stuff
for his recitations. When he found ;
out he could write, he wrote; and if
you'd like to laugh awhile, and at
th . bfi rcadi gomethinf? ,
. . . .,ltrfrpSf hrains. iret Miss
,IarrinKton show you some of
..MoodV, documcnts. Maybe you
knQW thfi chUd Wellf if you
fome wUd ooUng brother rush.
. . . foremost with
a Cicero under his arm, its either
Moody or J. D. Brooks; and surely
any native would recognize J. D.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR MEETS
The Christian Endeavor Society
met last Sunday evening at the Pres
byterian church. This meeting was
very successfully led by Miss Mary
Taylor. The subject of the meeting,
"The Pledge," was fully treated by
the speakers who were: Miss Betsy
Baird, Miss Annie Lou Williams,
Miss Aliene Crews, Mr. Ned Baker,
Miss Elizabeth Hunt, Miss Virginia
Turner, Mr. Edward Gill, and Miss
Virginia Harte.
The Christian Endeavor Society is
doing a great work among the young
people of this community by teach
ing them to be leaders. All the young
people are invited to become members
cf this helpful society.
James Webb
CHRISTMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Christmas in the Philippines is quite
different from what it is in America.
Poor old Santa has many trials and
tribulations in this land of no chim
neys and few stockings. Our custom
of giving presents is unknjwn for the
islanders considers Saint Nicholas the
giver of all good things at that sea
son. On Christmas Eve the town b.md
leads a procession through the streets,
sacristans carry banners, crosses and
incense, and are followed by the
priest and people bearing images of
the virgin and the infant Jesus. Re-
!ig:cu3 hymns are chanted as the pro
cession passes under arches crowned
with stare, rivaling those in the
heavens, to represent the Star of
Bethlehem.
After this, the people in tiny groups
take their musical instruments and
go from house to house singing. At
dawn the band agafn parades thi'
streets and wakes the inhabitants
(if the poor things haVe been to sleep
at all). The Americans celebrate the
day in good old home style.
Aren't we glad that we live in A
merica where there are chimneys for
jolly old Santa Claus to come down
and numerous stockings for him to
fill with good things from his bulging
bag.
Catherine Ragland
CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the English name for
the season in which the birth of Christ
-tmi,L' 'A t -!c
however, that a festival was celebrat
ed at this season long before it was
held sacred as the birthday of Jesus
of Nazareth. The Saturnalia of the
the Romans and the winter festival
of the heathen Britons was celebrat
ed about December 25, and later the
Roman festival in honor of the sun
god. It was adopted in the fourth
century by the Christians as the an
niversary of the birth of Christ.
The study of the customs also re
veals to us a heathen origin. The dec
orating of the church with the sacred
mistletoe and holly is also a pagan
survival.
Other illustrations may be brought
to memory, such as the sending of
Christmas presents, which originated
from the old Yule gifts of northern
Europe and ancient Rome. The old
custom of having a Christmas tree,
all adorned with candles and tinsel,
is of German origin. The old thought
of Santa Claus also originated in
Germany. Most of the Christmas cus
toms of ancient Europe are now ob
solete. The Christmas card, now an almost
universal conveyance cf seasonable
wishes, dates back to 1846 when J.
C. Horsley designed, at the sugges
tion of Sir Henry Cole, the first
Christmas card. The Christmas card
industry has now attained quite a
footing in modern times, and many
well-known artists have supplied de
signs. Tom Booth
CHRISTMAS HAS COME
Snow on the ground, and a frost in
the air;
Christmas has come, Christmas ha
come. '
Deck home and church with a most
tender care;
Ring loud the bells, for Christmas
has come!
Genevive Patterson